What welders do you own

[Mike Heidrick]

Finishing up a refresher welding class. I own a Lincoln 110 and I am getting better with it. Also have oxcy/Ace tanks and a big stick welder. Been considering a larger MIG (man that school's Lincoln 350 pro invertec with lf-72 spool setup spoils you) and also thinking I want to try more tig. Anyway just curious what you guys use. Also do you guys recommend a plasma cutter setup?

[Chris Parks]

Esab mig, Oxy, stick welder that was made in 1942 and will put out 400 amps if needed. I am thinking of scrapping the stick as I haven't used it in years and I don't think I could do an arc weld to save my life these days.

[Keith Outten]

I own a Miller Multimatic 200 welder that is capable of Mig, Tig and Stick. I also have a Miller Bobcat 250 welder/generator and a Miller Spectrum 625 Extreme plasma torch.

The plasma torch is a must have if you need to work large projects or very thick material unless your handy with an oxy-acetylene rig . For the typical welding jobs in my shop I use either a Rockwell Porta-Band or a Baileigh 7 by 10 horizontal band saw to cut pipe, angle iron, square tubing and flat bar when I fabricate sign hangers. The plasma torch is stored on a shelf so it doesn't take up any floor space, I don't use it very often, an oxy rig would be nice to have for heat bending.
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[Jim Davenport]

Technicality I don't own these anymore. They're at my son's house.
Millermatic 210 dual gun mig setup, Miller syncrowave 185 stick/tig, Miller plasma cutter, Lincoln ranger 8.
These gave me great service, until I got old.

[Charles Lent]

I have a Miller 252 MIG welder, a Miller DialArc HF for TIG and Stick welding in the shop, and a Miller Bobcat welder on the truck. I have two oxy-acet torch sets, one acet plumber's type turbo torch, and a propane torch that's used for pre-heating. For precision cutting I have a Milwaukee Dry-cut chop saw and a Milwaukee metal cutting circular saw, a DeWalt Porta Band saw on a SWAG Offroad table, and a Milwaukee Porta Band saw for portable use. I also have a modified Delta Contractor type table saw with a metal cutting blade. Yes. I do precision cutting of sheet steel and aluminum up to 1" thick on this modified table saw very effectively and safely. I do not have a plasma cutter, as I have found very little need for one so far.

Charley

[Curt Harms]

I own a Miller Multimatic 200 welder that is capable of Mig, Tig and Stick. I also have a Miller Bobcat 250 welder/generator and a Miller Spectrum 625 Extreme plasma torch.

The plasma torch is a must have if you need to work large projects or very thick material unless your handy with an oxy-acetylene rig . For the typical welding jobs in my shop I use either a Rockwell Porta-Band or a Baileigh 7 by 10 horizontal band saw to cut pipe, angle iron, square tubing and flat bar when I fabricate sign hangers. The plasma torch is stored on a shelf so it doesn't take up any floor space, I don't use it very often, an oxy rig would be nice to have for heat bending.
.

Do they make carbon arc torches today? I don't recall seeing one for sale. My father had one in I guess the early or mid '70. Two carbon electrodes, one fixed one that moved. I believe the cables had ends that were clamped in the electrode holder & ground. As I recall it didn't produce as much heat as an oxy-acetylene rig but worked okay.

[Keith Outten]

Carbon Arc gouging is still a viable technique. It's not as common as it used to be but in some cases its still a productive and economical technique.
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[Terry Beadle]

I've got a Lincoln stick welder I've had for over 30 years. I haven't used it in several years but she still worked the last time I needed it to repair a old lawn mower.
I like the Tig/Mig setups available now days but I work in wood and not much metal any more.

[Brian W Smith]

We can pretty much pay for/justify any welding equipment here if money is the metric......Have close friends who "wrote the book" on equipment.

I have an old Lincoln 175 Tig,and that same co's,180 Power Mig.Throw in a 30+ y.o. Airco OA setup.

In the woodshop(machine repair and fixtures),the mig is practically useless.I paid for it on the first job we used it on so can't really complain about the cost......But our OA torch and the Tig gets used 20 to 1 over the mig setup.

It takes too long to change the spool on a mig......with Tig and OA,you put down one rod and pick up another,simple as that.Migs are for guys that are doin the same thing over/over....can't beat'm in that environ.To be honest,I like the mig using modern flux core,outside.Keep that nasty stuff outside.....I can Tig in our living rm.,and never miss a beat,practically the same with OA.It's just way cleaner.

Break out the wallet......good welding equip will flat out cost the duckets.But gotta say,at least for us....it ranks right up there with the quickest "payback".

[Dennis Ford]

I have an old Lincoln 225 AC stick welder, a cheap HF flux core machine and an oxy-propane torch. I would love to have a TIG setup but have not been willing to spend the money as I would not use it very often. The HF flux core machine is not very good, I would not recommend one. I have built a lot of things with the stick machine and would buy another if it failed.

[Brad Schmid]

My favorite process and what I do the most is TIG, and favorite machine I have now for that is my Miller Dynasty 200DX water cooled Tigrunner with fingertip and foot pedal controls. Other machines include a Miller Bobcat 250, Hobart 210 MIG with spoolgun, a Hobart Stickmate LX 235 AC/160 DC, an old Century MIG that I keep in my RV for emergencies, a Thermal Dynamics plasma, and Smith OA. For the little bit of MIG I do now, a short duty cycle 200A machine is typically enough, but I wouldn't go any smaller.

[Tom M King]

Millermatic 251, Synchrowave 250 DX, an ancient giant stick welder that belonged to my Dad who was a welder in the big war, and a small Lincoln MIG that I keep flux core wire in that I don't remember the model number to.

[Mike Heidrick]

You boys have some serious nice welders!

[Ted Calver]

I have a Miller Multimatic 200, and a DeWalt Porta Band saw on a SWAG Off Road table. No plasma, but would like one because it would let me easily do decorative cut outs on things like fire pits and fence panels. A dry cut chop type saw will be my next purchase.

[mark weathersbee]

Lincoln tombstone,
everlast st300,
millermatic 252,
lincoln sa200 that I need to restore one day.

Most of these are for farm use, farm bought them not me. I bought the everlast to try some tig work.